Under water lighting unit



July 31, 1934. H, M. RElGHToN 1,968,072

UNDER WATER LIGHTING UNIT Filed July 12, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 31, 1934- H. M. CREIGHTON UNDER WATER LIGHTING UNIT Filed July 12, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 31, 1934 Y UNDER vWATER LIGHTING -UNIT Harry M.. Creighton, East Norwalk, com.. asf, signor to R.U. V. Company', New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New ork Application July 12, 192.9, Serial No. 377,646 Y 16 Claims. (C1.I2 io12)" This invention relates broadly to under-Water illumination and more particularly to a lighting unit for swimming pools of the kind comprising a suitable container installed inthe side wall or bottom of the swimming pool and provided with a transparent portion through which the light from an electric lamp passes into the water to illuminate the same.

To produce effective under-water lighting,

lamps of high wattage, i. e., lamps ranging from 100 to 500 watts should be used. Such lamps produce considerable heatwhich, if not removed, may burn Yout the lamp, or damage the water gasket or cement used to pack the glass disk or lens separating the water andjsource of light or cause` the glass disk or lens to break. A large container having for its object the lprovision of a large conducting surface to carry 01T the heat generated by the source of light cannot be utilized because the cost of a container of suicient di- It is obvious'that mensions would be prohibitive. such a container would have to'V be excessively large since the heat conducting value of,say,l the concrete in contact with the metallic 'container Wallis negligible. The formation of the container with a rear Wall open to the space outside of the pool Wall would also be ineffective since that would not providea forced circulation effecting:

a positive displacement ofthe heat generated, and furthermore, Vtheexterior Yspace surrounding the poolV wall would be in constant danger vof floodingif the'glass diskjorlens should break. It is also impractical to attempt'to utilize a circulation of air Within the container Vbecause such circulationwould be ineffectual unless flues of largevolumetric capacity were used, vor unless 'a forced draftvvas employed.A In either instance, the construction necessary would complicate and involve the manufacture of swimming pools and 40 would 'not obviate the danger of flooding unless the nues were raised above the surface of the water in the pool,.whichis impractical.

One object of the present invention isl the provision of a lighting unit for under-water illumination which shall provvideA f or ka constant circulation of cooling fluid contact with the vWalls of the,` unit. Accordingly, the container for the light source issurrounded by a, fluid space with provision for the entrance and exit of fluid,

F50 whereby a heat transfer may take placebetween the walls of the containerY and the iiuid.; 4@In one of its aspectsythe invention contem` plates vthe utilization of the heat generated by the source of light to effect thecirculation Aofthe 55 cooling medium. "ro lthis.' end, inletsare'so'dis;

posed as to admit cool water from the poolfinto the lower part of the container and outlets are provided for the exit of the Water, after it vhas becomer warm and has risen to the upper' part of the container, back into the pool.

In another aspect the inventionseeks to provide for a forced circulation of cooling medium in a practical 'and efficacious manner. To this end, uid may be forced into the space surround ing thev container and.A withdrawn therefrom. More particularly, in those instanceswhere the water in the pool is constantly replenished by l fresh or sterilized water, such Water may, in part, be admitted to the pool through the space sur-V rounding'v the container to carry off the heat generatedthereinby a heat interchange. j g Ylj.tj is also, an object of the invention to provide a lighting unit which is practical from tli'estandpoint ofrease and cheapnessof manufactura'practicability of installationand durability in use.

These andother objects of the invention and themeansfor their attainment will be Ymore apparent from'the'following detailed description,

takenin connection with the accompanying'draw-',-v

ingsLillustrating one modification'by which the 80 iinvention'may be realized, and in which:

iFigure V1 is a view in vertical section, taken at right angles to the swimming pool' Wall or bottom, and showing a lighting unit installed therein. "Figure 2 is a`view'looking from the right of Figure 1 and'showing the lighting unit'front elevation, parts being brokenaway in the interest of clearness.

The drawings illustrate a fragmentary section of the wall of a swimming pool' at V10. At suitable intervals'and at a desiredV depth,jtherejis installed, preferably duringthebuilding ofthe Wall, a metallic housing 11, containingfthelight source 12'from which rays of light enter'the body Vfof water 13 in the pool through a glass disk or lens F14. The housing ll'is preferably acasting and, .,conveniently, is cylindrical Ain form.' It is sh'ovvrifasV formed with a peripheral flange or 1in 15" intermediate rvits endsadapted tio-be` embeddedin vand interlocked with the materialof L100 the vvall10. This fin prevents any seepage from theifrontl'of the casting "11 toward the rear, 'fand between thecasing and the material' of the'wall. The container may be'surrounded, in` any convenient manner, by a spacefor the cooling' fluid'. '105 In' the VVillustrated' embodiment;V the container 11 is preferably hollow walled, beingshown as formed 'Witha relatively r*thick outer wall'18 carrying the in 15 "andA ai relatively thinwallf1`-9 definingi a ohambr 16"'for the source 'of light: The-walls 18 lll() and 19 define a fluid chamber 20 therebetween, closed at its outer or rear end by an annular wall 17. The inner or front wall 19 of container 11 is conveniently made as thin as practical in order to facilitate the conduction of heat therethrough to the circulating liuid in the chamber 20. At the inner end, i. e., the end adjacent the water 13 in the pool, the outer wall 18 of the container is preferably 'deflected outwardly or is of greater diameter as shown at 21 where it joins the annular end wall 22 of the casing 11. This end wall 22 is of material thickness so that it maybe formed with a rabbet, as at 23,4 for theA reception of the lens 14. At its inner extremity, the annular end wall 22 is alsoprovide'd with an in'- wardly extending ilange 24 adapted to be aligned with the tile 26. The lens 14, suitably sealed in the rabbeted portion by the. gasket 25y is secured in position by the metal annulus orgland 27. This gland 27 is inwardly flanged, as a't 28, to engage the outergasket 25 and hold it tightly .against the lens 14 and thus hold 'the lens firmly in position.y "It isV secured to the wall 22 by nat headed 'counter-sunk screws 29 and is suitably spaced from the wall 22 to provide a water passage 30 therebehind 'for'the passage of water between' the pool and the Vwater jacket, say through the holes33 and 34. 'Obviously the rear of the annulus 27'may` be recessed merelyat the location of the holes to form the water passage. At the bottom and at the top inwardly of the gland 27, the'lwall l22 is shown as formed with a series of perforations 33 and'34 respectively, whereby waterffrom 'the pool may enter the chamber 20 through the perforatio-ns 33 and, coming into contact with the heated wall 19, effect a transfer of heat therewith and becoming warmed, rise and fflowY out through the perforations 34 back into tljpoola'gain.

LThusby properly proportioning the chamber 20, the pool water 13 at the swimming temperature, (72-'80f F.) can be'used eifectively to carry off Vthe heat in chamberV 20 and suncient natural circulation for this purpose is attained by providing "the holes` 33 'and 34. l

"Atthe'rear, the interior 'chamber' 16 is closed by a wall'or plate 35 removablysecured in any convenient fashion asby the screws 36 to the rear wall 17 'of the housing 11. 'Centrally thereof, the 'plate is formed with a boss 37, or is otherwise suitably enlarged, and the plate has an axial hole' 40`therethru`gh for the passage. of a cable 4"'1 eendueting eurr'ent to energize the lamp 12. The vplate is provided with a gasket'42 sealing the joint' with 'the 'housinglL and a gasket 43 and gland 44 seal (the hole40. Thusthe rear end of the'conta'iner'is "sealedtoi prevent the emptying of thepool water into the area surrounding `the poollin'case the lens 14 should break;

"The 'sourceo'f light is indicated as an incandescent bulb 12 Ycarried inv a suitable socket 46 nlunted in spaced relation lwith the plate 35` by meansofthe spaced posts 47 and conveniently provided with a reiiector 48 to throw'the light through the lens into the water in thepool.

AIf desired, to supplement or replace the circulation of water'in the chamber 20, the rear wall 17of casting 11 may be tapped, preferably above and/or below, as at 50 and 5'1` respectively. Thus a Ycirculation of 'nuid such as cooling .water may be 'obtained from an exterior source entering through, say, the yhole 51 andbeing evacuated through, Hsay, the hole50v or vice versa. Where the lwater in the pool is constantly replenished, lor continuously withdrawn, sterilized and returned, a conduit 55 for such fresh or puried water may be connected as by pipes 56 to either the holes 50 or 51 of one or a series of lighting units and the water being under pressure in the conduit, will now through the water jacket 18-19 and out through the holes in the front. As shown in the drawings, the other holes, say 51, may be closed .as by plugs 57.

It will be evident that in lieu of the water jacket hereinbefore described that other constructions may be availed of to effect the circulation of the swimming pool water for cooling purposes as a substitute for the fluid space 18-19.

It will thus be seen that a lighting unit is provided which may be conveniently installed in the walls and/or bottom of swimming pools with no danger of emptying the water in the pool if a lens should break while at the same time assuring a constant circulation of fluid about the unit to carry olf the heat generated by the relatively large source of light therewithin. When the recirculation system is in operation, a sufficient supply of treated, filtered and sterilized water for cooling purposes may beV furnished through a rear hole, say 51, but if the recirculation system is not operating, suiiicient cooling is provided by the natural circulation from the perforations33 and 34.

Various modications will occur to those skilled 'in the art inthe composition, configuration and disposition of the component elements going to make up this invention asa whole, as well as in 'the selection of features to accomplish the desired `result, and no1 limitation is intended in the foregoing specification or 'illustrations in the accompanying drawingsfexcept as indicated the appended claims. What is claimed isz- 1. An underwater lighting unit provided with a fluid space thereabout in combination with a 4 tank wall and perforations adapted to permita circulation of fluid through jthe space.

2. A lighting unit for swimming pools comprising a container having an inner and an outer Vwall defining a fluid space, in .combination with a wall ofthe pool, an entrance for fluid and an exit 'therefor and a source 'of light within'the inner wall.

3. A lighting unit for swimming pools comprising'a container havingv a fluid space thereabout, in combination with a wall of the pool, one wall of said containenpermitting the passage of light rays and perforations adapted to permit a circulation of fluid through thespace. 4.k A lighting unit Afor swimming pools provided with afiuid space thereabout, in combination with a pool wall, means toY conduct fluid to the space land means forming an exit for fluid therefrom.

5. A lighting unit for swimming pools provided with space. for waterfthereabout in combination with a wall of the pool and` means `through which water from thepoolis adapted'tocircu'late.

6. A lighting `unit for swimming pools comprising a water jacket adapted to be embedded in a pool wall and tao-contain asource of Ilight, a lens closing the'front end of the unit and a removable wall` closing the rear end, in combination with apoolwall. f

`7. A lighting vunit for swimming 'pools comprisingva water jacketadapted to be embedded in apool wall and to contain .a source of light, a lens closing thev frontend of 4the unit, means to introduce .water into the water jacket land van exit for the water, in combination with a pool wall.

8. A lighting unit for swimming pools comprising a generally cylindrical Water jacket adapted to be embedded in a pool wall and to contain a source of light, a lens closing the front end of the unit and a plate closing the rear end, the front end of said unit being perforated for the entrance and exit of water.

9. A lighting unit for swimming pools comprising a generally cylindrical water jacket adapted to be embedded in a pool wall and to contain a source of light, a lens closing the` iront end of the unit, a plate closing the rear end and means to introduce water into the jacket, said jacket being formed with a passage opening into the pool.

10. A lighting unit for swimming pools and thek like comprising an inner wall, an outer wall spaced therefrom to be embedded in the wall of the swimming pool, and front and rear walls joining the said inner and outer walls, said front wall being formed to receive a lens and said front wall being formed with apertures.

11. A lighting unit for swimming pools and the like comprising an inner wall, an outer wall spaced therefrom and adapted to be embedded in the wall of the swimming pool, a rear wall joining the said inner and outer Walls, a front wall joining said inner and outer walls, said front wall being formed to receive a lens, said front wall being formed with apertures and a plate removably secured to the rear wall.

12. A lighting unit for swimming pools and the like comprising an inner wall, an outer wall spaced therefrom and adapted to be embedded in the wall of the swimming pool, a rear wall joining the said inner and outer walls, a front wall joining said inner and outer walls, said front wall being formed to receive a lens, said front wall being formed above and below with a series of apertures and a plate removably secured to the rear wall.

13. A lighting unit for swimming pools and the like comprising an inner wall, an outer wall spaced therefrom and adapted to be embedded in the wall of the swimming pool, a rear wall joining the said inner and outer walls, a front wall joining said inner and outer walls, said front Wall being formed to receive a lens, said front wall being formed above and below with a series of apertures and a plate removably secured to the rear wall, said rear wall being provided with an open- 14. A lighting unit for swimming pools and the like comprising a substantially cylindrical inner wall, an outer wall spaced therefrom and adapted to be embedded in the wall of the swimming pool, a rear wall joining the said inner and outer walls, a front wall joined to said inner and outer walls,

" said front wall being formed with a rabbet to receive a lens, a lens disposed in the rabbeted portion, a gland to hold the lens in position and removably secured to the front wall, said front Wall being formed above and below with a series of apertures, a plate removably secured to the rear wall and adapted to support the source of light, said rear wall being provided with an opening, and a conduit leading to the opening.

15. A lighting unit for swimming pools and the like comprising a substantially cylindrical inner wall, an outer wall spaced therefrom and formed with a 1in adapted to be embedded in the wall of the swimming pool, a rear wall joining the said inner and outer walls, a front wall joined to said inner and outer walls, said front wall being formed with a rabbet to receive a lens, a lens in the rabbeted portion, gaskets to seal the lens, a gland engaging the gaskets and removably secured to the front wall, said front wall being formed above and below with a series of apertures, a plate removably secured to the rear wall and adapted to support a source of light, said rear wall being provided with spaced openings, a conduit and a pipe leading between the conduit and an opening.

16. A lighting unit for swimming pools comprising a container provided with a iluid space thereabout and means through which water from the pool is adapted to enter and exit said space, in combination with means for mounting said unit in the wall.

HARRY M. CREIGHTON.

piso 

